<Tab/>The period of 1815 to 1848 in German history has been commonly referred to as Vormärz, or "pre-March" period in reference to the proceedings of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, up until the outbreak of riots in March and failed revolutions of 1848. Prince Clemens von Metternich's involvement in 'German' affairs during this period has been regarded by historians as very reactionary, and as an arch-conservative attempting to preserve …showed first 75 words of 1013 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1013 total…the seeds of nationalism had only just been sown. They needed time to develop and reach the wider audience rather than just a few romanticists of the dream. Firm ideas of what it meant to unify Germany, be it either 'Grossdeutschland' or 'Kleindeutschland', needed to be formed which takes time, although Metternich's actions no doubt delayed these aspirations so he can be seen as one of the major challenges to German Nationalism during this period.